“Do you think you can put the fear of God in Elon Musk and put them out of business?” asked Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, a reality show about investors and entrepreneurs. His question was directed at Dr. Caitlin Powers, the CEO and founder of One Earth Designs. Elon Musk, the Tesla mastermind, had acquired SolarCity, a solar power business, in 2016. Powers, in contrast, had invented a solar powered stove that harnessed the energy of the sun to produce a powerful, fuel-free grill and her company was also in the process of developing a solar battery. Powers appeared on Shark Tank in hopes of securing an investor for One Earth Designs.

“Yes, I think we have the potential to do that,” she confidently responded. Powers received her doctorate from Harvard University and her solar energy research has been recognized by the US National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. From her travels in the Himalayas, Powers had witnessed firsthand the negative effects of fuel-based indoor cooking among nomads and farmers living in resource-strapped regions. Her solution: the SolSource stove. With its unique geometrical design, it can convert 92% of the sun’s energy directly into cooking power at up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. It also heats up five times faster than a charcoal grill. “As long as you can see your shadow, you can cook with SolSource,” according to Powers.

Compact, clean, and safe to use, the SolSource stove is a sustainable alternative to fuel-based grills. The original Solsource is priced at about $499 while the newer SolSource Sport is currently sold at $299. The Sport is a quarter of the weight of the original source, making it more lightweight for a variety of settings, from the beach, to the park, to the wilderness. From Powers’ pitch, especially her future plans to develop the solar powered battery, Cuban agreed to invest in One Earth Designs. Cuban would be pleased to know that Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk’s brother, is also fan of the SolSource grill and has tweeted pictures of himself using the product.

The path toward enhanced opportunities and economic growth in Mississippi’s private sector begins in secondary and elementary education, then continues through the workforce training abilities of the state’s astounding community college system and on to the Research and Development (R&D) prowess of the higher education system. [...]